The present invention is directed generally to timer devices for electrical appliances for programming pre-selected time periods during which the appliance may be actuated at the selection of the user, and for providing other time periods during which the appliance cannot be actuated. The timer device is particularly useful in connection with a television set to regulate television viewing time for children and other persons.
It is not uncommon for children to be left on their own during various times of the day, particularly after school, before their parents return from work. During such time periods, it is desirable that the children primarily attend to completing their homework or other chores, and not spending a substantial amount of their time viewing television. Accordingly, known timer or programming devices have been developed for providing pre-selected time periods during which a television is de-energized and cannot be actuated by a user, and other time periods during which the television set is energized and can be actuated at the selection of the user. In this manner, a television set may be programmed so that it may be selectively actuated and viewed by children either during only pre-selected time periods of the day, or for only a pre-determined total time within, for example, a twenty-four (24) hour time period. Accordingly, a parent can control the television viewing time of a child even if the child is left alone with a television set accessible to him.
Typical known devices for regulating viewing time of televisions, or for regulating the energization time of other electrical appliances, are disclosed by the following exemplary patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,779, issued on Sep. 3, 1974 to Leone; U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,578, issued on Nov. 25, 1986 to Green; U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,332, issued on Apr. 22, 1975 to Leone; U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,308, issued on Jun. 11, 1968 to Fontaine; U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,495, issued on Jan. 20, 1981 to Pressman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,901, issued on May 13, 1986, issued to Maclay et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,506, issued on Feb. 21, 1978 to Makata; U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,551 issued on Apr. 15, 1980 to Peterson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,012, issued on Jul. 14, 1981 to Beckedorff et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,033, issued on Jan. 21, 1986 to Reidenouer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,765, issued on Sep. 6, 1988 to Green; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,901, issued on Mar. 21, 1989 to Onishi et al. The aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,833,779; 4,624,578; 3,879,332; and 4,246,495, are illustrative of timer devices for television sets which are intended to limit or restrict television viewing time.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved timer device for use in connection with electrical appliances, particularly television sets, for selectively limiting the time of the day, or the total time during a day, during which television can be viewed. The improvement provided by the present invention includes a back-up electrical power supply for the timer device which is automatically actuated upon disruption or interruption of line power to the timer device and the television set for maintaining the timer device in its operational or functional state.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following discussion in conjunction with the drawings.